top of page
Writer's pictureManushya Foundation
Dec 27, 2022

New Year Donation for #SaveSabWaiVillagers & #JusticeForPhichit









2022 may end soon but the Thai government continues to operate at the expense of communities on the ground!


🎄 The #Christmas season is not over! We still count on you to donate and support local communities fighting for justice!


#SaveSabWaiVillagers: Thailand's unfair ruling has put the Sab Wai villagers in extreme poverty:

🌿 Nittaya Muangklang, Manushya's board member and leader of the Sab Wai community of #SaveSabWaiVillagers, and 13 other villagers in Sab Wai village in Sai Thong National Park, located in Chaiyaphum Province in Northeastern Thailand, were unjustly criminalized as forest destroyers under Thailand's 2014 Forest Reclamation Policy.

🚨 Victims of Thailand's unfair justice system: although the villagers are small farmers, they were wrongly classified as large-scale enterprises under the military policy NCPO order 64/2014.

However, the villagers should have been covered by the exemption policy for poor people, the NCPO Order 66/2014, as they are a small community mainly of poor and ethnic minority peoples who had settled on the land before it was declared a national park area.

📛 This criminalization and risk of evictions of Sab Wai villagers represent the Thai government's fake climate solution, as well as the misuse of the Forest Reclamation Policy and the NCPO orders 64/2014 and 66/2014.


❓ What is the Forest Reclamation Policy?

🌳 Under the disguise of 'Climate Solution', the Thai government is weaponizing its participation in the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), a global partnership funded by the World Bank aiming to reduce carbon emissions.


To achieve this goal of reducing carbon emissions, the Thai government issued the Forest Reclamation Policy based on NCPO Orders 64 and 66 of 2014. In reality, the Thai government confiscates the land of the poor, forest-dependent communities and indigenous peoples instead of recognizing them as 'Guardians' of the forest and letting them control the land usage. Apart from the Sab Wai Villagers, there are over 25,000 cases that are also affected by the so-called Forest Reclamation Policy.


✊ Support the Sab Wai villagers to remain in their village and practice their traditional life as ‘Guardians’ of the forest:


✨ You can #SaveSabWaiVillagers by directly supporting the community members with a donation:

Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives

Branch Code 0454

Branch Name Nongbuarahew

Account No. 020196885014

Account Name Nittaya Maungklang, Supaporn Sisuk, Narisara Maungklang


#JusticeForPhichit is not over:

📛 For more than 20 years, villagers in central Thailand’s Phichit province have suffered from the impacts of gold mine Chatree Goldmining Complex, operated by Akara Resources, a Thai subsidiary of Australian company Kingsgate. The villagers are exposed to health and environmental risks because of gold mining. For example, leaks in the mine storage tanks have contaminated the groundwater and are dangerous for drinking water and agriculture. Since the water is contaminated, villagers' food supply is insecure and their cost of living has increased because they have to buy water and agricultural products. Neither the gold mining company nor the government has provided adequate support. Moreover, many villagers suffer from mental health problems such as anxiety, stress, depression and insomnia.


⚖️ Justice delayed is justice denied: With the support of Manushya Foundation, over 300 villagers have filed a class action lawsuit against Akara Resources, demanding justice and fair compensation for the damages caused by the company. Until now, the court hearing keeps postponing. Villagers are still not receiving compensation for the environmental, physical and emotional damage they have suffered over the past 20 years.


💰 Even worse, the Chatree Gold Mining Complex was closed due to its proven negative impact on local communities and the environment in early 2017. As a result, Kingsgate initiated arbitration proceedings against the Thai government for alleged violation of the Thai-Australian Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA). In January 2022, the Thai government extended four licenses for Kingsgate to reopen the Chatree Gold Mining Complex for another 10 years, as a way to avoid the arbitration. However, the outcomes of the arbitration for reparation against the Thai government are supposed to be released in early 2023. Whatever happens, the people suffering are the villagers on the ground!


❗ Friends, it is clear by now that: the Thai government puts Profit Over People!


✊ Support the villagers in their fight for justice and to receive compensation for their suffered damage.


✨ You can help #JusticeForPhichit directly by supporting the community members with a donation:

Kasikorn Bank

No. 001-8-68961-8

Premsinee Sintontammatuch,

Sirirat Taitong, Chatchadapon Lorsap


#WeAreManushyan – Equal Human Beings


While you're here...

Read more about our #CorporateAccountability work and impact to bring for #JusticeForPhichit & #SaveSabWaiVillagers:


References:


Comments

bottom of page